Airship.



B. SITZENSTOK.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

II. III Ill I 5] woe vvl oz 3511 4 flflozmew 0 WW wandraidmw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRUNO SITZENSTOK, OF TOMPKINSVILLE, NEW YORK.

AIRSHIP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRUNO SITZENSTOK, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Tompkinsville, Staten Island, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Airships, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to airships heavier than air and particularly to that kind in which the ship is formed with a hull-shaped body to be capable of navigating also in water.

The object of my invention is to so construct the elevating planes of the ship that the same may be folded or rolled up alongside the hull-shaped body by a simple inanipulation when the machine is to be used for navigation in water, and may be unrolled or unfolded when it is to be used for navigation in the air.

With this and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully specified and claimed.

To make my invention more clear, the same is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which similar reference letters denote corresponding parts and in which Figure 1 illustrates a perspective plan view of a part of the hull-shaped body of the machine and one of the lateral elevating planes, and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are details of construction.

In the drawing, which forms a part of this specification, 1 denotes the body or hull of the airship which may be made of suitable light and strong material and of a shape conforming with that of an ordinary motor boat or the like. Adapted to project from the side walls of the hull-shaped body are the horizontal elevating planes 2, of which one only is shown in the drawing and the construction of which forms the subject of the present invention.

The supporting planes 2 made of canvas or other suitable material, are at one end fixed by suitable means, as staples 3, or the like, to the body of the ship and secured to the lateral and front edges 2, 2 thereof are rings 4:, 4 or like members. Projecting from the hull alongside the lateral edges of each plane are tubular or cylindrical bars, each constructed of two sections 5, 5. The

inner sections 5 are made very short and fixed to the body of the ship, and the longer Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 31, 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Serial No. 641,422.

outer sections 5 are pivotally so connected to the inner sections as to be capable of being tilted horizontally (Fig. 2) to extend parallel to the side walls of the hull, when the latter is to be used for navigation in the water. In the present embodiment of my invention, the inner sections 5 are provided with projections or tongues 6 engaging recesses 7 made in the opposite ends of the outer sections 5 and pivoted therein by pins 8 or the like (Figs. 1 and 2). The outer sections 5 are provided near their free ends with resilient members or tongues 9 (in the present example there are two on each section) that normally tend to project outward to form retainers for the plane in stretched position. The ring-shaped members 4 at the forward and the rear edges of the plane are loosely engaged around the sectional bars 5, 5 to be capable of sliding longitudinally thereon when the plane is manipulated to be unfolded or folded. The ringshaped members 4 secured to the outer edge 2 of the plane loosely engage around a cylindrical or tubular bar 10 which at its ends is formed with ring-shaped eyelets or members 10 that loosely engage around the forward and the rear guide bars 5, 5 and that, when the plane is unfolded, are adapted to be locked in outward position by the resilient members or tongues 9 and thereby hold the plane stretched.

For the manipulation of the plane, in order to unfold or stretch the same, I provide the following mechanism: Rotatively secured within the hull of the airship is a drum 11 which is formed with a ratchet wheel 12 or the like. Cooperating with said wheel is a pawl 13 fulcrumed to the hull as at 13. A handle 14: may be provided for the operation of said wheel. To stanchions 15 fixed to the hull and to the walls of the hull are secured guide sheaves 16, 17 for cords or wires 18, 18. One end of each of said wires is secured to the bar 10. These wires are guided over sheaves 19 supported in the bifurcated ends 5 of the bar section 5. The inner ends of the two cords or wires 18, 18' are so secured to the drum, that when the latter is turned in a certain direction, both cords will pull the plane outwardly along the bars 5, 5 and unfold the same. The bar 10 extending transversely to the plane and connected thereto by the rings 4' will when the plane is stretched to its full length, be

forced over the resilient catches 9 and be locked in position.

To release the plane when the latter is to be folded up the resilient members 9 have to be first contracted. To this end, the inner ends of the two members 9 on each bar 5, 5 have attached to them the bifurcated end 21 of a cord or wire 20 which is conveyed outward through an eyelet 22 arranged within the tubular bar 5, 5 and along the latter through suitable guides 23, 24: and is secured to a double armed lever 25 fulcrumed at 25 in the hull. The attachment of the two ropes or wires to the said lever is such, that by the turning of the lever in a certain direction, the two ropes will be pulled to contract the tongues 9 releasing the bar 10. The folding of the plane after the release of the bar 10 may be accomplished by a rope or wire 26, the ends of which are attached to the said bar 9 and which extends inward and is passed through eyelets 27 By grasping and pulling the portion 26' of the wire extending between the eyelets 27 the plane will be folded up, its rings 4 and the bar 10 sliding along the guide bars 5, 5. After the planes have been folded together, the movable sections 5 of the bars 5, 5 of each plane may be tilted horizontally (Fig. 2) to extend alongside the hull. A wire or rope 28 may be provided to support the bars in their unfolded position. The pawl 13 engaging the wheel 12 will prevent the latter from turning backward.

It is understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction shown and described, since various modifications may be made in the diflerent parts, without deviating from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an airship heavier than air, a foldable elevating plane, foldable guide bars secured to the ship, guide members secured to the said plane slidably engaging around said guide bars, a rigid member connected to the outer edge of said plane and slidably engaging said guide bars, means on said bars to lock said rigid member in outward position, means for manipulating the said plane to unfold the same and means for releasing said rigid member.

2. In an airship heavier than air, a foldable elevating plane attached to the ship, sectional guide bars capable of tilting horizontally, guide members slidably engaging said guide bars, resilient members on the latter to secure the plane in stretched position, means for unfolding or stretching the said plane and means for contracting said resilient members to release the plane prior to folding it.

3. In an airship heavier than air, a buoyant hull-shaped body, an elevating plane secured to said body, sectional guide bars, secured to said body and the sections of which are pivotally connected to one another so that the outer sections are capable of tilting horizontally, guide members secured to said plane and slidably engaging around said guide bars, resilient means on the said guide bars for holding the plane in stretched position, flexible means connected to the said last named means for releasing the said resilient means and means for folding the plane.

4:. In an airship heavier than air, a buoyant hull-shaped body, an elevating plane secured to said body, foldable guide bars, guide members secured to said plane and slidably engaging around said bars, a rotary member secured in the said hull, flexible means secured at one end to the said body and at the other end to the said plane, and guided over said bars, said means being adapted by turning said rotary member in a certain direction to unfold and stretch the said plane, means for preventing the backward movement of said rotary member and means for holding the plane in stretched position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BRUNO SITZENSTOK.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. GOGGIN, MAX D. ORDMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

